San Jose State raises more than $200 million in fundraising campaign

SAN JOSE -- Hitting its goal a year early, San Jose State raised nearly $209 million from private donors through its first major fundraising campaign, its president announced Monday.

More than 30,000 people, foundations and companies donated or pledged money to the cause, bringing the Silicon Valley university money for scholarships, endowed professorships, equipment and other expenses, said SJSU President Mo Qayoumi.

"We are very deeply gratified and thankful to each and every one of our donors for investing in San Jose State and investing in this great valley ..." Qayoumi said shortly after making his annual welcome address on the first day of the semester.

In recent years, more public colleges across the United States have begun looking to alumni, philanthropists and corporations to fill in some of the gaps caused by cuts in state funding. San Diego State announced in May it had raised more than $400 million in its first such campaign, and UC Davis is in the midst of a $1 billion fundraiser. The University of Michigan, which raised more than $3 billion in 2008, is expected to begin another multibillion-dollar effort in November.

UC Berkeley has been courting donors for decades; its latest effort, the Campaign for Berkeley, set a $3 billion goal and is expected to conclude this year.

Years ago, Cal State East Bay announced plans to launch a major campaign, but it has yet to do so, at least publicly.

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And San Jose State is already looking to the next one.

"It's not going to be question of whether we have a campaign or not," Qayoumi said. "It's a question of when."